Chapter 106: The Heavenly Sword Sect
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Ji Han Zhou sat facing Yu Zhao, still unable to figure out an answer to his predicament.
Yu Zhao casually flipped the grilled fish in her hands and asked, “Ji Han Zhou, which sect are you from?”
Before you misunderstand, the sea fish in Yu Zhao’s hands wasn’t something she caught while fishing. Instead, she had simply used her spiritual energy to snatch it directly from the sea. She had spent the whole day fishing on a reef but didn’t catch a single thing—not even a strand of seaweed.
Of course, she stubbornly refused to admit it was due to her lack of skill. She firmly believed it was just bad timing and planned to try again tomorrow.
“Sister, I’m a disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect,” Ji Han Zhou replied, his hands resting neatly on his knees. He looked polite and composed.
He wasn’t at all surprised that Yu Zhao could discern his affiliation, just as he could tell she, too, was a fellow sect disciple.
“The Heavenly Sword Sect is in the Northern Region. How did you end up in the Southern Abyss?” Yu Zhao raised an eyebrow in surprise.
In the world of cultivation, there was a saying about the Seven Great Sects: one sect, two schools, and four clans. The “one sect” referred to the Five Elements Dao Sect, to which Yu Zhao belonged. The “two schools” included the Green Wood Sect, where Mu Ye came from, and the Heavenly Sword Sect, Ji Han Zhou’s school. The remaining four were the Artifact Refinement Pavilion, the Harmony Sound Temple, the Tai Bai Academy, and the Hundred Flowers Valley.
The Five Elements Dao Sect and the Green Wood Sect were both located in the Central Region, but the Heavenly Sword Sect was in the frigid Northern Region. Meanwhile, the Southern Abyss lay far to the south, making Ji Han Zhou’s presence here all the more puzzling. How could a mere Foundation Establishment stage disciple travel so far?
Wait… Ji Han Zhou. The more Yu Zhao thought about the name, the more familiar it sounded, as if she had heard it somewhere before.
Ji Han Zhou grinned, his expression carrying a hint of foolishness. “I didn’t come here on purpose. It was the teleportation array.”
At the time, Ji Han Zhou had been practicing swordsmanship on a snow-covered mountain in the Northern Region when he inadvertently caused an avalanche. Though he was unharmed, the disturbance woke a slumbering Snow Demon.
Furious at being rudely awakened, the Snow Demon chased Ji Han Zhou for three days and nights. Though their cultivation levels were comparable, the snowy environment favored the Snow Demon, leaving Ji Han Zhou at a disadvantage.
As he fled, he stumbled upon an ancient teleportation array. Without hesitation, he activated it, only to find himself teleported to a mountain peak near the Clear Wind Sect. Exhausted from battle and disoriented by the teleportation, he had only enough strength to consume a healing pill before fainting.
When he awoke, he found himself imprisoned in a cave cell.
Yu Zhao was awestruck by Ji Han Zhou’s harrowing tale, filled with twists and turns. His story also jogged her memory. She finally recalled where she had heard his name.
Ji Han Zhou was the only son of the Sword Sovereign Jiu Hua, a genius sword cultivator of unparalleled potential in the Heavenly Sword Sect. Born with innate sword bones, he was hailed as a once-in-a-millennium prodigy and considered the future hope of the sect.
The reason Yu Zhao didn’t immediately recognize his name was because, like her former Senior Sister Zhou, Ji Han Zhou had been a comet—a brilliant yet fleeting talent. He had vanished during a training expedition, leaving no trace thereafter.
Now that she thought about it, his disappearance in her past life occurred around this very time. If she hadn’t intervened, Ji Han Zhou might have truly perished in his conflict with Master Zi Wei.
Yu Zhao’s expression shifted. Her rebirth hadn’t just altered her own fate and that of Senior Sister Zhou but had also impacted the destinies of countless others.
“Sister, what are you thinking about?”
Ji Han Zhou nervously watched as Yu Zhao remained silent. Finally, Yu Zhao glanced at him and said, “Don’t call me ‘sister’ anymore. You can call me Senior Sister Yu instead.”
The term “sister” felt overly sentimental, and Yu Zhao didn’t care for it.
Ji Han Zhou’s beautiful phoenix-shaped eyes grew misty. His lips tightened stubbornly as he stared at Yu Zhao. But Yu Zhao’s calm gaze met his with unwavering firmness. Eventually, Ji Han Zhou’s resolve faltered, and his eyes darted away. Succumbing to Yu Zhao’s strong presence, he pitifully called out, “Senior Sister Yu.”
Yu Zhao was satisfied and handed him a grilled fish. Ji Han Zhou eagerly accepted it. Tentatively taking a bite, his eyes brightened in surprise. The taste was unexpectedly delightful.
“This is delicious! Senior Sister Yu, have you cooked before?”
His casual question brought back memories Yu Zhao had almost forgotten.
Years ago, her Third Senior Brother, Su Ming, had complained about the sect’s mediocre meals. At just ten years old, Yu Zhao had gone to the Master Chef of the Five Grains Hall to learn cooking. Back then, she was so small she had to stand on a stool to reach the cutting board. Despite her daily cultivation training, she squeezed in time to learn culinary skills.
After much effort, she finally managed to prepare a table full of exquisite dishes. But by then, Su Ming had reached Foundation Establishment and no longer needed food, having entered a fasting state. Yu Zhao was briefly disheartened but didn’t dwell on it. She continued making spirit-infused meals during her free time for her five senior brothers and her master.
Initially, they were overjoyed to receive the dishes and showered her with praise for her thoughtfulness. However, as time passed, they grew used to it and stopped appreciating her efforts. Later, when she began studying the Bright Moon Over the Sea Technique with Master Qing Yan, her slow progress drew criticism. Fang Cheng Lang accused her of being distracted by trivialities and ordered her to stop cooking and focus entirely on cultivation.
Feeling ashamed, Yu Zhao eventually gave up cooking altogether. Now, recalling the hardships she endured while learning, a deep sense of regret filled her. She had wasted her time and energy on thankless tasks. The spirit food she painstakingly prepared wasn’t even tasted by her, yet she was blamed for being frivolous.
Shaking her head, Yu Zhao felt it wasn’t worth it. But fate had granted her another chance. This time, she wouldn’t squander her efforts on unimportant people.
Meanwhile, Ji Han Zhou continued eating the grilled fish, sneaking glances at Yu Zhao. He thought, “What’s Senior Sister Yu thinking about? One moment she looks upset, the next she seems resolute. She’s so strange.”
The next day, Yu Zhao confidently unveiled her upgraded fishing rod. With a smooth motion, she cast the line into the sea, ready to catch fish.
Ji Han Zhou, intrigued by her activity, decided to craft a makeshift fishing rod and joined her. The two sat side by side, waiting for a bite. From sunset to sunrise, the fishing lines didn’t so much as twitch.
Disheartened, Ji Han Zhou asked, “Senior Sister Yu, should we keep waiting?”
Yu Zhao’s face darkened as she put away her rod. “The wind’s not right today. We’ll try again tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Ji Han Zhou replied.
On the third day, Yu Zhao declared, “It must be the bait. Tomorrow, we’ll try different bait.”
“Okay.”
On the fourth day, she speculated, “The problem must be the hook. Tomorrow, we’ll change the hook.”
“Okay.”
By the fifth day, Yu Zhao finally admitted defeat. She turned to Ji Han Zhou, who had nearly recovered from his injuries, and said, “Junior Brother Ji, your injuries are almost healed. I think we should focus on figuring out how to leave this place.”
After repeated failures, Yu Zhao begrudgingly accepted that fishing was not her forte and abandoned the effort altogether.